European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Andriukaitis Takes Part in Discussion onFood Quality

Sofia, March 8 (BTA) - European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis and parliamentary Agriculture and Food Committee Chairperson Dessislava Taneva Thursday took part in a civil dialogue on food quality Thursday. Andriukaitis said that EU Member States set aside less than three per cent of their healthcare budgets for preventive care, and urged for understanding at the political level for changing this "dramatic trend".

The guest recalled that 25 per cent of the EU children are overweight or obese, due to the sugar in foods. Andriukaitis advised that school menus include honey and not sugar.

Taneva said that the debate on healthy foods should be free from populism. She spoke about the double standard of same brand foods sold on different markets, saying that the EU regulation should be changed to abolish this and have same brand good with the same quality, irrespective of the market on which they are sold. "Consumers should not be misled," she said.